


H is for Hostages

by Rinkafic



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-05
Updated: 2013-02-05
Packaged: 2017-11-28 08:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/672440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinkafic/pseuds/Rinkafic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sequel to Upside Down, the AU of the Telpa ‘verse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	H is for Hostages

His head was pounding, and opening his eyes didn’t help dissipate the pain. He had only forced himself to do so when he heard a whimper followed by a sniffle. He spied a tiny, bowed, dark head across the chamber, in a cage. Rage woke him the rest of the way. They’d put his baby in a cage!

Ja’han rattled the chains holding him to the wall. “Becca? Becca can you hear me?”

“Daddy!” she cried, pressing her face against the wires of her tiny prison. “Daddy, get me out!”

Get her out? How the hell was he gonna get them out? His head hurt, it was quite likely concussed thanks to the bash across the back their abductors had gifted him with. He was able to reach a hand up and touch it gingerly, it came away sticky with blood. He winced at the sight. “Becca, did they hurt you, honey?”

“No Daddy. They’re mean. I’m scared.”

“It’ll be okay baby. Don’t worry. Da will be looking for us.” If Evan didn’t find them, he had friends, vicious friends; he could call upon for help. He was glad he had decided not to take both of the twins out to the market; at least Bethie was home safe with Evan.

The door creaked open at the end of the chamber and a tall man with dark hair sauntered over to Ja’han. “You will cooperate or I will snap the girl’s neck,” he said without preamble.

“Let her out of the cage. I’ll do what you say, just let her out of there, she’s terrified,” Ja’han wasn’t above doing a little begging for the good of his child.

The man held out a piece of paper and a pencil lead. “You will write a letter instructing DranWrin Lorne to leave five hundred zercs in a sack between fifth and sixth bell tomorrow in the milkbox at the house on the corner of Market Street and Council Road. If this is done, you and the child will be released unharmed.”

“I’m already harmed.”

“Without any further harm.” The pock-marked man shook the paper at him. “I assume the DranWrin will recognize your handwriting?”

“Yeah, yeah, sure, sure. I’ll write it if you let her out.” Ja’han took the paper and lead. The man sighed as he apparently realized that Ja’han wasn’t doing anything until Becca was out. He went over to the cage, pulled a key from his pocket and took the lock off. As soon as the cage door was opened, Becca darted around the man’s legs and dashed across to Ja’han. He cupped her chin in one hand and turned her face back and forth, checking her over before he pressed a hand to her back and held her against his side. She seemed physically unharmed, just a little scared.

“She stays with me.”

“If she misbehaves, I snap her neck.”

Ja’han gently turned Becca around and leaned over to use her back as a flat surface to write on. He wrote the directions that had been dictated, then added that their daughter was fine and he just had a bit of a sore head. He handed the letter to the man, who read it, grunted and walked away, slamming the cellar door behind him.

Glancing down at the obviously frightened Becca, Ja’han slid to the floor and held his arms open. Becca climbed into his lap and snuggled against him. At five, she was old enough to have understood the threat in the man’s words; she was being unnaturally quiet. Ja’han rocked her until he heard her start to snore lightly and then leaned back against the wall and dozed as his daughter slept.

He woke in the middle of the night, Ja’han could tell because no light came in through the tiny windows set high in the wall. He heard sounds coming from the level above, heavy footfalls, running, and eventually some shouting in the stairwell.

The door burst open and Evan rushed in, accompanied by Wrin Parr’ish, Sasso O’Neill, Sasso Reynolds, and the Protectors from the tavern and brothel; Teal’c, Ronon, River and Zoe. They were all armed and there was a quite a bit of blood on most of them, especially on Evan. The DranWrin spied Ja’han and Becca and charged towards them, a look of profound relief on his face.

“Are you all right?” Evan knelt beside them and reached his hand out to caress Becca’s head, then stroked Ja’han’s cheek.

“Head hurts, but I’ll live. Did you clear out the rat’s nest upstairs?”

Becca roused slightly, smiling dopily up at Evan. “Hullo Da.”

“Hello baby.” Evan nodded at Ja’han’s question and lifted the chain attached to the manacle. “O’Neill, can you do something about this?”

“I’ll get it. Take the little one and get out of here before the constables turn up. We’ll get Ja’han out and bring him home. Mal, David, will you escort Lorne home?”

“Of course,” Parr’ish snorted, grasping Lorne’s elbow as he scooped the drowsy child out of Ja’han’s arms and struggled to stand. Mal grabbed his other elbow and together they lifted Lorne upright.

Evan frowned, looking from Becca to the door and over at Ja’han. “I don’t like this.”

“Go. You can console me when I get home,” Ja’han said, tilting his head back against the wall as O’Neill went to work on the first manacle.

Leaning over, Evan kissed his forehead. “Be careful.” He left the cellar behind Mal and David, Becca held tightly in his arms, River and Zoe at his back.

“That’s a relief,” Ja’han breathed out as Lorne left. “I guess he refused to pay the ransom?”

O’Neill snorted; a sound echoed by Ronon, standing guard by the door as Teal’c walked back and forth, slapping a club in his palm. “He was ready to, but we advised him not to. This gang doesn’t turn over hostages in one piece. They take the initial payment then start sending bits and pieces back, extorting more money.”

“This is not a comfort, O’Neill.”

“Oh sorry, did you need comforting? Poor Ja’han. Did the big mean kidnapper hurt you?” The first manacle fell to the floor with a loud clatter. Ja’han rubbed his abused wrist. “You’re black and blue, Lorne’s gonna throw a fit when he sees that.”

Knowing O’Neill was right, Ja’han just nodded. “Five hundred zercs is a year’s wages for me, I couldn’t let Lorne throw it away, not when we knew where to find the scum. He’s a little vicious, your lifemate; you should have seen what he did upstairs, it was a little scary.”

“They took our daughter. They put her in a cage; thank God he didn’t see that, he might have really lost his shit.”

“The way you talk sometimes, Ja’han.”

Chuckling, Ja’han rubbed his wrist as the other manacle dropped free and O’Neill set to work on the ankle cuffs. “I’m not from around here, remember?”

“Someone coming,” Ronon grunted.

Two goons came down the stairs, Ronon and Teal’c made quick work of them. When the chains were off, Ja’han held onto O’Neill’s shoulder and painfully got to his feet. He was dizzy and stumbled, nearly losing his balance. O’Neill wrapped an arm around his back and supported him as they left, Ronon at their rear, Teal’c taking the lead.

They met no resistance leaving the house. Ronon wanted to go back and burn it down, but O’Neill convinced him that would be a danger to the homes around the place. Reluctantly, the big Protector conceded the point.

By the time they got Ja’han home, he was barely conscious and being carried slung between O’Neill and Teal’c. Evan met them at the door, and Becca and Bethie ran to grab onto his legs. Doctor Tam was a few steps behind them, clucking his tongue and trying to brush Ja’han’s clinging family aside to get to him.

When Tam touched the back of his head, Ja’han yelped and blacked out.

~*~

 

When he woke, his head didn’t hurt too much. Beside him in the bed, Evan was curled around him, as if protecting Ja’han in his sleep as best he could. Stroking a hand over Evan’s shoulder, Ja’han sighed with contentment.

Evan woke and lifted his head, blinking sleepily at him. “How is your head?”

“Better. How is Becca?”

“Becca is fine. Bethie is a wreck; Doctor Tam gave her a mild sedative so that she would sleep. He dosed me too.” Evan checked the timepiece beside the bed. “I’ve been out for nine bells!”

“I guess we all needed the sleep.”

Evan leaned up to kiss his lips lightly. “I was scared. When that letter came, I didn’t know what to do.”

Kissing him back, Ja’han whispered, “I had no doubt you would get us out of there. I knew you’d call O’Neill and Parr’ish; I was a bit surprised to see Reynolds and his crew.”

“They insisted on helping.” Evan hugged him again and yawned. “I’m going to go check on the girls. Tam says you need to stay in bed for a few days.”

“You’re going to coddle me, aren’t you?”

Patting Ja’han’s leg, Evan nodded. “Of course, how could I not?”

 

The End


End file.
